REFLECTIONS

Reflecting on Christmas – the Star

Star gazers. Astrologers. Star worshipers. Whatever brought the Magi to study the stars that night, it was a star on the move that captured their attention. By some means the easterners had come to know of the prophecy of a coming Messiah, though the Scripture was in far away Israel. The light from the moving star sent a signal of his coming. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. So, the Magi set out to follow the star in search of the Messiah.

It was to be a lengthy trip. More than a few months of rugged travel passed by before the star led them to a stopping point. It seemed like a logical place to reach. Jerusalem was the holy city of the Jews, and the star had led them there. But where was the Holy Child? Surely the king would know. Herod was his name.

“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” they asked. “We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'” (Matthew 2:2-6)

Then Herod summoned the Magi secretly. With fear buried in his eyes and evil oozing from his heart, he directed them to Bethlehem as Scripture said. He made but one request. “As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, [the Magi] went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. (Matthew 2:8-11)

And the star? Well, the Magi followed it in search of the Messiah. It seems to have disappeared after it led them to evil King Herod. Then, Scripture pointed them to Bethlehem. There they found the Savior.

The episode reveals both Good and Evil, each in search of life’s Messiah—one because human sufficiency is exposed by Him. The other because humanity is deficient without him. Evil set out to kill the Savior. Good bowed its face and worshiped Him.

O come, let us adore him. Christ the Lord.

You are the light of the world,

Richard +

www.reflectingthesavior.org.

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